Device for cleaning balls



March 26, 1940.

c. E. HASKINS DEVICE FoRcLEANING BALLS Filed April 27, y1959 y INYENTIOR.

L f ATTORNEY.

l vPatented Mar. 26, 1940 l fUNITIEIDA STATES 2,195,3o3'* v DEVICE FOR CLEANING-BALLS My invention pertains Vto a ball cleaning device and especially for large balls of the bowlingl type. Anobject of my inventionl is to provide an automatic arrangement which will allow the 5 ball to be' placed ina convenient laperture and by suitable rotating arrangementsl to 'sufficiently clean the ball.

A further object of my inventionv is to provide an arrangement which, due to the substantially l0 large weight ofthe ball, willprovide a? positive scouring or'cleaning action uniformly and-.over theentire surface ofgthe ball. f 'f A further object of myinvention is to provide means for maintaining a uniform tension against the driving `arrangements and to provide an arrangement which will not get out ofr order and which can be easily cleaned. e

A further object of my invention is to provide, together with other objects, asimple construction for this purpose. c I

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof the various parts of my de` yice, whereby the objects contemplated are at Figure 6 is a sectional view` taken substantiallyalong the lines 6--6 of Fig. 4.

I have rused 'the character I0 to represent a typical bowling ball and to receive the ballA I0 I'provide an opening II which is located centrally in the top wall I2 of the casing I 3. Attached within the aperture or central-v 'opening II is the 4annular felt cleaner I4 whichincludes the portion I5 which extends substantially vertically and is adapted to snugly engage the ball .45 I Il. An vannular ring lfi's attached bymeans of the screws I1 to thetop wall I2 and securely holds the vfeltmernber I4 in place. Attached to the base I8 of theqcasing are the uprights I9 in which is suitably journaled at 20 the shaft 2|.

' "50L Receiving the'shaft 2| and securely attached thereto is the spool 23 having the inwardly curved concave portions 24'Valong the surfaces of which'v 'are attached the stiff bristles 25. The bristlesr 55 25 follow substantially the contour of the pormotor 3U.

l CharlesE. lHaskkins,vSiole1ir` City, Ioiwa Application April 27, 1939, Serial-No'. 270,360

zolaims. (Cl. 15.-241) ltions 24'vand at their `outer ends conform pracf tically to the surface of the ball Ill.- i

s Driving the vspoolf-23fis the pulley 26 and over which is fre'ceived the belt 21 which passes over the furtherfpulley 28 which `is attached'to the 5 shaft v29 which shaft is driven by the electric The electric motor is controlledby leads'3l andthe switchvleads 32v which` pass to thecontrol switch 33. f The-motorz30 is attached toa platform 34 which' is' attached tothe hinge `10 f 35 which further attached tothe strip 36 which ber I4 and also restsupon the stiff bristles 25.

The switch 33 is then operated'which actuates the motor 30 which drives the belt 21 which in go turn rotatesthe spool 23. The rotationv of the,- spool will cause the bristles 25 to scrape ragainst the ball and'to impart a vigorous scouring action y thereagainst, and at the same time will rotate the ball due to the frictional engagement therev25 f with which, together with the felt member I4,

' provides an even and uniform cleaning action.

OnlyV a few seconds is necessary for this operation and when the ball is removed it is thoroughly cleaned." 30

' The pivotal attachmentof the Aplatform 34 to the hinge 35 and due to thek weight of the motor 30 upon the platform 34 maintains a constant and uniform tension against the belt y2I. The result then isv a 'continuous cleaning as well as 35 rotating action against thev ball I0 as above explained,` the mass of thek ball being sufficient to provide a relative rotation between .the brush and the ball itself so that the bristles will partially 'move against theball surface as Well as turn it.

A modified form' of this arrangement is shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, in which there is seated in the aperture II an annular ring 38 in which Vring are anixed the annular arrangement of stiff bristles 39, the ring 38 including a flange 40 .45

'through which passes the screws 4I whichv attaches the brush to the top wall I2 of the casing. It will be noted thatithe bristles 39 extend a substantial distance to eitherside of the equator f of the ball I8. Sultably journaled in the uprights I9 is the shaft42 to which is attached centrally y thereofv the rubber friction driving member 43 erated, it being understood that the .other portions of the device are the same as that explained above, the shaft 42 will be rotated, and assuming it to travel in the direction of the arrow 45 the ball will correspondingly be rotated in the direction of the arrow 46 which will turn the ball against the bristles 39 and by continued action will insure that the entire surface of the ball is cleaned, since constantly successive portions of the ball will be continually passing against the ring shaped series of bristles 39.

The brush can be quickly removed for cleaning purposes as well as in the other construction explained.

4 It will now be seen that I haveprovided a ball cleaning device especially adapted` for cleaning bowling balls whichy imparts a uniform scour' ing and cleaning action to the ballr without any attention being necessary except that of placing the ball in an apertureand then removing; it

will be seen further that I have provided means for rotating the ball against a series of bristles, that I have provided an arrangement Awhich can be operated simply and conveniently, vand which is simplein construction. t

Somechanges may be made in the `construction and arrangement of, the parts of my invention without departingfrom the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of struc-f ture or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A ball cleaning device comprising afcasing having a top wall, a circular` aperture in said top wall, an annular cleaning member adapted to snugly engage the equator of the ball, means positioned beneath the ball and engaged therewith for rotating the same including a rotatable spool including bristles attached thereto. said At5 kbristles being'positioned to'conform to the arcuate curvature ofthe ball, saidrotary spool rotating on a horizontal axis for rotating said ball .simultaneously with the cleaning action thereof by said bristles, saidl annular cleaning member adapted to further cleanv the ballon all 'exterior surface portions during such rotation.

2. A ball cleaning device comprising-a casing having a top wall, a circular aperture in' said top walLan, annular cleaning `member adapted to snugly engage the equatory of the lball, means positioned beneath the ball and engaged therewith for rotating the same including a rotatablevll spool including bristles attached thereto, said E;

bristlesbeing positioned to conform to the arcu- ,20

CHARLES E. HAsKINs. 35 

